Wednesday, 31 October 2012

“I am an interfaith ordained minister,” said
the woman with curly hair and olive skin, wearing comfortable fatigue jeans.
Smiling, she sat down in the queue next to the crowd control barriers behind me
and in a skillful, much practiced gesture slipped off her high heeled boots to
wear what looked like ballet shoes. “I can marry people of any religion,
conduct funerals, naming ceremonies…” I had never met anyone Interfaith before,
in fact didn’t even realise that the concept of being Interfaith existed. Nor
for that matter would I have met the Spanish tour guide ahead of me who spent
took people on tours of Asia & Africa or the intriguing trio of Russian
teenagers who seemed to be in high spirits as they chatted non-stop to each
other in the queue ahead of me. There we were, a motley crew of nationalities,
from all over the universe—and perhaps some from the other world too, my
writers’ brain insisted—all lining up from 8.00 am that morning to pay our
respects to Amma—the saint who was taking over the world with hugs. Volunteer
after volunteer, radiant and beaming stopped by and asked “First time? It’s
going to be an experience you will not forget.” After yet another kindly soul told
me with a grin that I needed to take a Before
the Hug and After the Hug picture
my cynicism kicked in. I had first heard of Amma, many years ago but having
spent my growing years in India ensured a healthy scepticism for God men/ women
of any kind. Yet fifteen years after
leaving the Motherland, here I was in my NRI avatar paying darshan to an avatar of the Godly kind. The passage of time—it
seemed—had done much to heal my cynicism. I was now western enough to quest for
spirituality and not be ashamed to admit it, unlike back home where any such
declaration would have been met with a level of scorn among the young upwardly
mobile circle which I would normally hang out with. Pushing aside the taste of disbelief
which welled up in me, I willed myself to go with the flow for the next few
hours. I resolve just be in the moment and enjoy the festive environment around
me. All around me I saw various Benetton ad-frames-of people queuing up to be
hugged. As the time came close I watched carefully as each of those hugged
seemed to get up with a befuddled and sometimes beatific look on their face
which declaring to the world that their hug was mind-blowing. When my turn came
I leaned down on the floor and found myself enfolded in a bosom within which I
swear I could feel a large heart overflowing with generosity. My surprised
senses registered that her saree
smelt of rosewater, comfortingly taking me back to the pujas my family had
performed in India. She whispered a
Sanskrit word over and over again in my ear. I can’t recall now what it was,
but it was hypnotic at that time. And then it was over, I was rushed out of the
embrace and bewildered, blinking in the brightness of the non-embrace I walked
out, wearing my coat, switched on my blackberry. I went to work and about my
normal chores for the rest of the day not sure if THE hug had made any
difference. I still don’t know what it was all about. All I can say is that I woke
up the next morning feeling like a million dollars. I felt happy, hopeful,
ecstatic and looking forward to the day. It was as if I had been given a big jolt
of energy and couldn’t stop smiling. Five days later I still feel good.
I wonder if this is what it was all about. Is this why people keep going back
for darshan.To get their annual infusion of strength? Perhaps.
I will definitely go back when she visits London again next year and I hope I
can also persuade my husband to come with me. After all as mere mortals we can
all do with a bit of help with a divine being.

PS: Hopefully my husband does not
read this post, for he’ll probably scold me for believing in all this mumbo-jumbo
as he so nicely puts it.

PPS: Have you been to see Amma in
London or anywhere else in the world. What was your experience? I’d love to
hear from you.

About Laxmi Hariharan (in my words): Though born in India,
wanderlust drove me out of my home country and I lived in Singapore and Hong
Kong before being based in London where I now live. I am inspired by Indian
mythology. It was in embracing my roots that I found my voice. My debut novel The Destiny of Shaitan is available on
Amazon http://tiny.cc/szqsew. Reach me here: